Box-fastener.



J.P.BEEHLER. BOX FASTBNER. APPLICATION IILED MAY 11, 1911.

1 ,O22,576, Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

7 lij edziafiiviil UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES F. BEEHLER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

BOX-FASTENER.

Application filed May 11, 1911.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JAMES F. BEEI-ILER, acitizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Box-Fasteners, 'ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification.

My invention relates to improvement in box fasteners, the object of myinvention being to provide a simple inexpensive device which can bereadily applied to one of the walls and the lid of a box for the purposeof holding the lid tightly closed.

My improved box fastener is particularly intended for use on beershipping boxes, egg cases, bottle shipping boxes, or for all boxes wherea simple effective latch or fastener for the lid is desired.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of the box equipped with myimproved fastener. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 22 ofFig. l and showing the fastener elevated. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section through thelid of the box and showing the latch plate thereon in elevation. Fig. 5is an elevation of the base plate upon which the movable latch ispivotally mounted. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 66of Fig. 2.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings A designates thefront wall of the box, B the lid therefor and formed in said lidadjacent the front edge thereof is an opening 0.

1 designates the latch plate, which is applied to the lid over theopening therein and formed through said plate is an opening 2. Formedintegral with the top of the plate 1 to the side of the opening 2 is aloop 3.

4 designates a base plate which is fixed in any suitable manner to theinner face of the front wall A of the box, and formed on the front faceof said plate at the upper edge thereof is a horizontally disposed loopor keeper 5. Formed on the faces of the plate adjacent the centerthereof is a pin 6 upon which is pivotally mounted the lower end of avertically disposed hook 7, which extends beneath the keeper 5, and theupper portion of said hook is adapted to engage Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

Serial No. 626,539.

through the openings C and 2 when the lid is closed. The upper end ofthe hook 7 is rounded as designated by 8 and formed on one side of saidhook is a projecting lip 9 which engages on top of the plate 1 when thelid is closed.

The edge of the plate at the end of the opening 2 through which theupper end of the hook engages is beveled or inclined as designated by 10in order to form a striking face for the rounded upper end of the hookwhen the lidis closed. Formed integral with the front face of the plate4: immediately below the keeper 5 and below the pin 6 are lugs or ribs11 and 12 upon which the hook 7 engages during movement and these lugsor ribs serve to hold the body of the hook away from the front face ofthe plate 4 thereby providing sufficient room for a U-shaped spring 13,which is positioned between the plate and the hook with the free end ofone leg bearing against a lug 14 formed integral with the plate and theend of the opposite leg bearing against a lug 15 formed on the rear sideand lower portion of the hook 7. Formed through the plate 4 immediatelyopposite the lug 1 1 is an opening 16 adapted to receive a removable pinutilized for holding one leg of the spring 13 when the parts of thefastener are assembled.

hen my improved fastener is properly positioned on a box and the lidthereof is swung downward to a closed position the beveled face 10strikes against the rounded upper end 8 of the hook 7 thereby swingingthe upper portion of said hook laterally against the resistance offeredby the spring 13 and when the lid has moved to a closed position on topof the box the lip 9 engages the top of the plate 1 as shown in Figs. 1and 2 thereby effectually holding the lid closed. The upper end of thehook occupies a position immediately against the loop 3 and the upperend of said hook is provided with an aperture 17 adapted to receive asealing wire or like device, which is also inserted through the openingin the loop 3. (See dotted lines Fig. 2.) The hook 7 swings freelybackward and forward upon the pin 6 and during such movement bears uponthe lugs or ribs 11 and 12.

A box fastener of my improved construction is comparatively simple,automatically fastens and holds the lid when the same is swung downwardonto the box and said fastener can be readily assembled and positionedupon a box, occupies comparatively little space thereon, and forms anefieotive fastening device for all forms of boxes.

I claim:

1. In a box fastener of the class described a base plate, a transverselydisposed loop integral with the upper portion of said plate, a hookextending through said loop, and pivotally connected at its lower end tothe base plate, a lug on the rear side of the lower portion of saidhook, a lug on the base plate and a spring one end of which bearsagainst the lug on the base plate, and

the opposite end of which bears against the lug on the hook.

2. In a box fastener of the class described a base plate, a transverselydisposed loop integral with the upper portion of said plate, a hookextending through said loop, and pivotally connected at its lower end tothe base plate, a lug on the rear side of the lower portion of saidhook, a lug on the base plate and a spring one end of which bearsagainst the lug on the base plate, and a transversely disposed rib onthe base plate adjacent the loop which rib forms a bearing for the hookduring its swinging movement.

3. In a box fastener of the class described a base plate, a transverselydisposed loop integral with the upper portion of said plate, a hookextending through said loop, and pivotally connected at its lower end tothe base plate, a lug on the rear side of the lower portion of saidhook, a lug on the base plate a spring one end of which bears againstsaid last mentioned lug, and a second lug on the base plate adjacent thefulcrum point of the hook for supporting the spring.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses, this 19th day of April, 1911.

JAMES F. BEEHLER.

IVitnesses:

M. P. SMITH, \VM. A. DAVIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

